No abstract

A field experiment was conducted at College Farm, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari (India) to assess the association and interrelationship of various growth and yield attributing traits that determine seed yield of sesamum. The experiment was carried out in randomized block design with four replications and nine treatments viz., T1: sole sesamum, T2: sole sesamum (Paired rows at 30-60 cm), T3: sole sesamum (Paired rows at 30-30-75 cm), T4: sole green gram, T5: sole cowpea, T6: sesamum + green gram (paired 2:1), T7: sesamum + green gram (paired 3:2), T8: sesamum + cowpea (paired 2:1) and T9: sesamum + cowpea (paired 3:2). Results showed that seed yield of sesamum was significantly affected and positively correlated with growth characters viz., number of branches/plants at 45 DAS (r=0.656**), harvest (r=0.545**), dry matter accumulation at 45 DAS (r=0.687**) and harvest (r=0.553**). Various yield attributing traits viz., number of capsules/plants (r=0.671**), capsule length (r=0.618**), number of seeds/capsules (r=0.672**) and test weight (r=0.704**) significantly influenced the seed yield of sesamum. Sesamum equivalent yield was also significantly and positively correlated with available N, P and K status of soil. Regression studies indicated that the yield variations in seed yield of sesamum due to yield attributes to a great extent (80 to 98%). Overall, it can be concluded that better growth and yield attributing traits caused significant and positive improvement in seed yield of sesamum as well as its equivalent yield.

The study was carried out to evaluate the forage quality of maize and sugargraze as influenced by different potassium management practices. The experiment was laid out in split-plot design in which two fodder crops, viz. maize and sugargraze, were taken as the main plot, and different potassium management regimes were taken as a subplot. Results revealed that the quality parameters of sugargraze and fodder maize crops, viz. Dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, ash content, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, and acid detergent lignin were significantly influenced favourably by potassium management. Comparing the quality parameters, remarkably highest CP (9.70%), total ash content (9.87%) as well as potassium uptake (230 kg/ha) were obtained with 50 kg K2O + KSB + 2% KNO3 foliar spray; however, higher ether extract (1.73%) was recorded in 50 kg K2O + KSB + 2% K2SO4 foliar spray. The fibre fractions, viz. NDF (66.1%), ADF (35.4%) and ADL (4.70%) recorded considerably lower values with 25 kg K2O + KSB + 2% KNO3 foliar spray over control. The higher values of TDN (59.3%), DMD (63.6 g/kg), RFV (94.7%) and DMI (1.92 g/kg) were recorded in fodder maize over sugargraze with an application of 25 kg K2O + KSB + 2% KNO3 foliar spray. Therefore, considering all the studied parameters, it can be concluded that getting higher quality green biomass production of fodder maize and sugargraze with the application of 25 kg K2O + KSB + 2% KNO3 would be a more feasible agro-practice.